Anemone - Anemonia sulcata
Anemonia sulcata (Pennant, 1777), known as Venus’s hair, is a celenterate antozoo of the family Actiniidae. Anemone Anemonia sulcata Celenterato antozoo cnidari cnidarians
Description
This sea anemone has a cylindrical body, ranging in color from yellow-brown to green, from which extends a crown of long, slightly retractable tentacles with purple tips. It reaches sizes up to about 20 cm in diameter.
Biology
This species expresses a fluorescent protein, called Kindling Fluorescent Protein (KFP), used as a marker in molecular biology.
Distribution and habitat
Distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea and along the eastern coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, it is the largest sea anemone in the Mediterranean. It lives attached to rocks, feeding on small prey that it captures with its long tentacles equipped with stinging cells (nematocytes). Its tissues contain unicellular algal symbiotic organisms (zooxanthellae), and for this reason, it requires well-lit areas. It lives from the first few meters of water to a depth of 10 meters.
Anemone Anemonia sulcata Celenterato antozoo cnidari cnidarians
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